Speaking His Peace
by OffCenterFold
Summary: Rune Factory 4. Doug has something he needs to say, but opportunities keep getting taken away! Will he ever be able to have the conversation with Dylas he so desperately wants to, or must he resign himself to fighting forever?


_[AN] So this started out as a collaboration with Crazy-Pairing-Girl. Some stuff came up for her so I ended up finishing the story myself, but without her it would not have come to fruition. I don't generally write non-het pairings mostly because they're outside of my direct personal experience, but Doug and Dylas are practically canon! So without further ado...[/AN]_

Doug ran a hand through his hair, staring up at the restaurant door. He bit his lip, trying to steady his pounding heart.

Just as he was about to open the door, he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder, making him jump a foot in the air and let out a high-pitched shriek.

"Doug!" Blossom exclaimed, her gnarled fingers tightening slightly in her own surprise. "Are you all right?"

The redheaded dwarf nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine. You startled me, is all."

"Well, I'm sorry about that! You have seemed nervous, lately. What's bothering you, that I startled you so?" Blossom let her concern show.

"Just… A lot on my mind, I guess. It's nothing," he replied nervously, looking at the ground as he twirled his fingers.

"Like what? What exactly is on your mind?" Blossom pressed, still worried.

"Oh, uh, you know," he said, fishing for time as he desperately racked his brains for a plausible response, not ready to admit the truth to anyone. Not yet, anyway. Not until after. "Just… stuff," he finished, feeling his face warm. _~"Just Stuff?" You idiot! Is that the best you could come up with?~_ he thought, now even more embarrassed and irritated. He knew his Granny Blossom wasn't going to buy, and he was right.

"Now, Doug," Blossom's voice was somehow both conciliatory and exasperated, "You know I worry about you. It doesn't still have to do with that nonsense with the Sechs, does it?"

"Wha- NO! I'm totally over that, I swear!" Doug practically screamed, eyes going wide in shock. He vaguely noticed a few tourists looking over, but he ignored it in favor of staring at Blossom in shock.

"Then what is it? Doug, you know you can tell me anything," she said, trying to calm him down.

She suspected her adoptive son wasn't being entirely honest; she still caught him moping from time to time, and more than once she'd heard him saying something — usually to Frey — regarding Lady Ventuswill's situation. There was no doubt in her mind that Doug regretted his role in that whole mess, and genuinely wished for the dragon's return, but she suspected that something else was foremost in his mind, and she watched his face as he tried to come up with an innocuous response, her concern becoming tinged with amusement.

"Well, I was, um… worrying about you!" Doug blurted out suddenly. _~Perfect! She'll believe that! And it's true, too… It's just not what I was thinking about right now… ~_

Blossom sighed. She didn't fully believe him, but she knew that he wasn't going to tell her the truth anytime soon.

"Well, don't. I'm fine, so just go on with your regular routine," she said, and with that she went back to the store.

Doug watched her walk away, swallowing nervously. _~Jeez. That was close…~_ He took a steadying breath and squared his shoulders. It was just lunch. They all had lunch together at least once a week, so why was today different? Why should today have him tied up in knots? It wasn't as though he was going to say anything in front of everyone else!

He nodded to himself, once, and pushed open the door. The other guys were just sitting down at the large table, and he could hear their conversations as he approached. Arthur and Kiel were debating with Leon over some old text they'd found, while Vishnal was begging Dylas for some cooking tips. Porcoline reigned behind the counter, indulging his astonishing appetite almost as quickly as he could cook, and Margaret was playing her favorite song on the piano. The normalcy of it calmed him, and he glanced once more around the restaurant as he strutted towards the table to join the others for lunch.

Everyone greeted Doug as he sat down, and he smiled and nodded in response. "Hey guys. What's going on?" he asked, prompting everyone to tell him about their past week. Vishnal discussed his new training, Arthur and Kiel talked about the ancient text, and Leon was… Eerily quiet, freaking Doug out a bit. He chose not to say anything, figuring he had some sort of prank in mind, and he didn't want to be part of it.

His fears were confirmed when the buff Guardian sighed contentedly, having just finished his grilled fish, and turned to Dylas with a particularly bland expression. "Hey."

Dylas eyed Leon warily. "Hm?"

"You've hardly said a word all afternoon."

"Like that's unusual," Doug scoffed. "Ol' Horseface never says much."

"Who're you callin' a horse?" Dylas demanded, glaring at Doug.

Normally, Leon was quite content to let them bicker. Today, however, he had other plans. "If there's something bothering you, you can talk to me. I was a Dragon Priest, after all."

Dylas seemed to hesitate for a moment before responding.

"I don't have anything to talk about, especially not in front of everyone"

Leon gave him a look, before shrugging.

"Okay, but remember, I'll always listen, whether privately or publicly," he said, patting Dylas's shoulder. With that, he turned to Doug.

"By the way, Doug, how's your little crush?"

Doug choked on his water.

"What?! Wh-when did I tell you that I had a crush?!"

"You didn't. It was just a hunch," Leon replied with a smirk.

He could feel six pairs of eyes on him, each afire with curiosity. Margaret played on, lost in her music, but even Porcoline behind the counter had slowed down in his cooking, the better to hear the red-faced redhead's reply.

"Well, what about you?" _~Ugh, that's it? I'm so lame…~_

Leon's eyebrow raised the merest fraction. "I'm not the one under discussion," he said smoothly. Doug felt a small twinge of jealousy; he knew he could never be as smooth on his best day as Leon on his worst.

It was Kiel who came to his rescue, somewhat unexpectedly. Doug often thought that Forte's brother was just not very smart when it came to people, and was occasionally surprised when Kiel did or said something that hinted he might not be quite as innocent as he let on. In a soft voice and with a wry smile, he said, "She is pretty amazing, isn't she."

Vishnal jumped as though he'd been kicked under the table. "Truly a princess," and his own sigh was wistful.

Leon raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"You all like the same girl? What's her name?"

"What, so you can humiliate us in front of her? Uh, no thanks," Doug said quickly.

Leon narrowed his eyes, then turned to Dylas.

"What do you think, Dylas?"

Dylas clenched his jaw, glaring at the table like it had just called him a horse.

"Why the hell would I care?" he hissed, his voice slightly strained. Leon sighed, looking at Doug again.

"Okay, then what does she look like? What color hair, can you at least tell us THAT?"

Arthur, who'd been silent up until that point, spoke up, "Try all you want. They won't even tell me who it is, and I've been asking for at least a week, maybe two!"

Once again to Doug's surprise, a miraculous intervention occurred — this time in the form of Porcoline.

"Here's dessert for everyone," he said grandly, laying out an assortment of desserts in front of everyone — except for Dylas, who received corn cereal. _~Probably the closest thing to a sweet he could tolerate,~_ Doug thought. A ragged chorus of thanks greeted the interruption — and Doug suspected he was as grateful for that as for the flan in front of him, if not more so. I'm safe, for now. Bless Porcoline.

Vishnal managed to turn the topic of conversation to the recent fishing festival, which Doug mostly ignored. He had trouble swallowing even the smooth custard he liked. _~That was too close… Yeah, she is pretty amazing, but… A guy like me would never have a chance with her. Not when she could have anyone she wanted. And besides…~ _It took every ounce of his self-control to act casual and finish the meal. Never was he more relieved to leave Porcoline's… But something told him things were not about to get any easier.

.oOo.

The next day, while doing inventory for the shop, Doug was mentally working on his confession. After yesterday's close call, he wasn't about to take any more chances on humiliating himself.

The door opened, and when he looked up, he saw Dylas walk in.

Dylas nodded curtly by way of greeting and made a straight line for the small stock of fishing gear that Blossom kept. Most of it was Bado's work, but there were a few she'd had imported over the years because she found them interesting. Dylas had been eyeing one in particular since the first time he'd walked into the store.

There was no one else around. Blossom was out visiting, and there were no other customers. _~Now's my chance. Now might be my best opportunity to strengthen our relationship!~_

"Yo, uhh… Dylas?"

Dylas glanced up, raising an eyebrow. Doug froze, realizing he had no clue what to say.

"Uh… Can you put up this Curry Powder for me? I can't reach the shelf and I can't find the ladder."

Did I just say that?! Damn, now he's gonna make fun of me for being short!

Dylas snorted. "Whatever, shrimp." He paused, cocked his head thoughtfully. "Actually, no. You're not a shrimp."

Doug blinked in surprise. ~_What… Is he saying…. Is he saying he…_~

Before he could complete the thought, Dylas smirked. "I like shrimp. I don't like you," he said, taking the box of curry powder from a befuddled Doug's grip and stashing it easily on the shelf.

Doug clenched his jaw, doing his best not to just scream his feelings. Instead, he stormed over to the counter, making sure he hadn't missed anything to put away.

"Thanks. Was there something you wanted, or are you just going to annoy me?" he growled, barely registering the fact that a tear had escaped his eye.

Dylas looked at him in surprise. Something in the dwarf's tone had reached him; instead of snapping back as usual, he softened his own. "Hey, I just came here to shop. You're the one who said something first. Are you—"

The door burst open, interrupting him, and Kiel pelted in, eyes flashing with excitement. "Hey, guys! Did you hear about Illuminata?" He paused, looking from Dylas to Doug and back again.

Doug shrugged, trying to hide his previous upset.

"What happened with Illuminata?"

Dylas gave Doug a worried look, which went unnoticed, before turning to Kiel.

Kiel looked with concern between the two friends, but at Doug's question, brightened again. "She solved a case! I think that's the second one this year!"

_~Damn it. I was so close… If only I'd said something faster, maybe…~_ But he cut off that thought, too. "Ha!" Doug didn't quite have to force the laugh. "Sorry, Kiel, but why do I have trouble believing that?"

Dylas shook his head slowly. "Yeah, that does seem pretty farfetched, sorry," he grinned at the petit blond.

Kiel shrugged. "That's what I heard from Amber, anyway. She has no reason to lie about that," he pointed out.

"That's true," Dylas admitted.

Doug shrugged. "I guess it is," he said with an odd expression, "as much as I hate to agree with the nag over there." He hid his feelings with a familiar smirk.

"Who're you calling a nag, pebble-brain?!" Dylas shouted, glaring at Doug.

"Shut up, gelding! I have work to do!" Doug screamed in response.

Dylas narrowed his eyes. "And to think, I was starting to get concerned for you!"

By this time, Kiel had run out the door to spread the word even more about Illuminata's feat… Plus he didn't want to be the only one in the room while those two were fighting.

He wasn't quite quick enough, and Dylas' words reached his ears — but there was safety in distance, and he could always save that particular tidbit up for later. He figured they'd both be all right; Kiel had faith in his friends. So he didn't hear Doug's startled gasp.

"You — what?" His emotions were already high, and he wasn't entirely sure he'd heard Dylas correctly. His stomach felt tight and it was hard to hear over the blood pounding in his ears.

"I — Idiot!" Whatever he'd been about to say, Dylas changed his mind and resorted to his old standby, though even he wasn't sure if he meant to direct it at Doug or at himself. Without another word, he ran out of the store, leaving Doug staring after him for a long moment.

When Vishnal came in several minutes later, Doug had established a good steady rhythm, beating his head against the counter.

Vishnal gasped, running to stop Doug from giving himself a concussion or something.

"Doug! Why are you doing that?!"

Doug stopped slamming his head, and looked Vishnal in the eye.

With all that had happened, and his emotions running at a record high, he wasn't all that surprised that he started to cry.

"D-Dylas- I just- And he- But I-"

"Doug! Calm down and tell me what's wrong! What's that about Dylas?" Vishnal shouted.

Doug flinched at Vishnal's volume; the guy was definitely learning from Volkanon. "You don't have to yell," he mumbled.

"Sorry," Vishnal said, somewhat awkwardly patting Doug on the shoulder. "But what happened? You and Dylas fight all the time. That's how we know you guys are friends."

Habit pushed the reply past Doug's lips before he could stop it. "I'm not friends with that stupid horse!"

"Doug!" Blossom had entered the store just in time to hear his angry retort. "How many times do we have to have this conversation? Hello, Vishnal," she nodded to the tall young butler.

Vishnal nodded in uncomfortable greeting. Blossom smiled understanding and waved him out. "Doug, I know you and he don't always see eye to eye but there's no reason to drag everyone else into your conflicts. Oh, my," she said, taking a closer look at her young ward. "Doug, have you been crying?"

Doug sniffled, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand.

"Sort of…" he admitted, not seeing any reason to lie, since it was pretty obvious.

"Oh, Doug! What happened?" Blossom asked worriedly.

Doug opened his mouth to speak, and found he couldn't get the words out. How could he tell the woman he called Granny about how stupid he felt over not being able to tell someone his feelings? And to make matters worse, it was a guy… There was nothing Granny Blossom wanted more than grandchildren.

Knowing he was interested in a guy would break her heart. He just knew it.

"I guess I'm just tired," he said, unable to look her in the eye. "I'm not feeling so good. I think I should go lie down. Or maybe to the clinic." _~Or maybe burn in hell for lying to you… Twice over. And that's not even counting what I did before.~ _His misery was clearly written on his features, and Blossom did not resist temptation; she wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Oh, Doug," she sighed. "You're so young. But if you don't want to talk about it yet, I'll understand."

Doug could only nod, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

.oOo.

Later that night, Doug was lying in bed, completely unable to sleep. Every time his eyes would close, he would remember the events of the day, the fight with Dylas, Dylas apparently being concerned, and then him lying to Granny Blossom.

Finally, he decided to go out for a walk to clear his head. He pulled himself out of bed and put on his shoes, not bothering to put on any actual clothes in place of his pajamas.

The night was surprisingly cool, but for once, Doug welcomed the chill that permeated the thin fabric as it brushed his skin. He felt hot, and every inch of him ached with tension. His head whirled and his focus was off, and he still burned with humiliation. To just break down and cry like that! In front of Vishnal and Granny Blossom, no less! Could've been worse. It could've been Kiel… or… _him._ Doug groaned in frustration, his footsteps taking him to the bridge on the edge of town. Maybe knocking out a few monsters would do him some good.

Belatedly realizing he'd left his sword at home, he turned around to get it as a flare of white light caught his attention. _~Escape? But who'd be out so late?~_

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the glow faded to reveal Frey's slender form — and she looked like he felt.

"Doug? What are you doing?" Frey asked, darting her eyes around.

"I had a lot on my mind… What about you?"

"A lot on my mind too," she replied. Doug nodded, just standing there awkwardly. "Uh, do you want to talk about it?" Frey asked finally.

Well. This isn't awkward AT ALL, Doug thought to himself. "Do, uh… Do you?" He tried for a smile. It felt odd, and he knew once again his face was betraying his feelings.

"Actually, not really," Frey said. To his relief, she looked embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Doug sighed, the air huffing out of him with the force of his gratitude. "Wanna go kill stuff?"

Frey looked at him and smiled. "I think that's the best idea I've heard all day."

"Great! Oh, but I need to get my sword."

Frey grinned as she reached behind herself. "No worries. I brought a spare."

Sharing a grin, Doug followed Frey to the airship console. It was after 5 o'clock in the morning before they parted ways, and Doug was pleasantly exhausted from the hard pace she set. They hardly talked, but the thrill of climbing up Leon Karnak and taking out everything in sight boosted his spirits.

_~Tomorrow isn't going to be much fun, as tired as I am, but at least I don't feel quite so… tangled. If only talking to him were that easy! Will I ever get my chance?~_ He was asleep almost before he hit the pillow, but not before the niggling finger of doubt penetrated his dreams…

.oOo.

Naturally, having been out until nearly dawn, he was even more exhausted than usual the next day. He decided to walk around town and take it easy. If he ran into Dylas, fine. If not, also fine. He wasn't going to worry about it… Or so he told himself.

His brain, however, was having none of it. It kept insisting on wondering where Dylas was, what he was thinking, if he was really angry or concerned or whatever. Who was he crushing on? Why was he so upset?

How did Leon know Doug had a crush anyway? He was hardly one to talk. Everyone knew how he teased the more he liked someone, and the person he teased the most was Frey. Arthur had no cause to complain either, because Doug was pretty sure the prince's fascination with cuteness had pretty much taken root in Frey's appearance and behavior. What's not to like? _~She's pretty great, and she's easy to talk to. I really do like her, so it wasn't a lie exactly.~_

But it wasn't really the truth either. But what if Dylas liked her too? What if he wasn't into guys? It was all too easy for Doug to imagine Dylas' reaction on learning that the princess wasn't the main object of Doug's affections… He'd played the scene out in his head hundreds of times. He found himself at the edge of town, on the wooden bridge by Margaret's place, as it ran through his head once more.

_"Yo, uh, Dylas?"_

_"What do you want, shrimp?"_

_"Can we, uh, talk for a second? I mean talk seriously?"_

_Dylas looked at him untrustingly. "I guess. What do you want?"_

_"Dylas, look, I, uh… I need to tell you something."_

_Dylas continued to look at him warily, which didn't make it any easier._

_Doug swallowed. "Dylas… crap. Dylas, I- I really like you, okay? I don't want to go out with Frey. I want to… to go out with you." _

_"W-WHAT!?" Disgust and outraged warred on the former Guardian's face. "I don't like guys! And I definitely don't like you! Disgusting pea brain, keep away from me!" _

Doug buried his face in his hands at the thought. He just knew that was how it would go. Why bother even trying?

"Hey, you okay?" A familiarly gruff voice behind him startled him, and he turned around suddenly. Dylas stood there with an awkward look of concern.

Habit formed his answer before his brain could even process what was going on. "Yeah, I'm fine. Stop nagging."

"Who're you calling a nag!?" Dylas' reaction was as much habit as his own retort.

"You, you horse-face!"

Dylas' features contorted with rage. "You shouldn't talk, you pea-brained dwarf!"

"Try and stop me!" Doug's feet had carried him to stand almost pressed up against Dylas as they got in one another's faces.

"Dylas!" Margaret's voice cut through Doug's consciousness as she approached. "Porcoline needs you to help put away the supplies that just came in. Can you tear yourself away from Doug for a few minutes?"

"Gladly," the tall man growled. With a final glare at Doug, Dylas stormed off in the direction of the restaurant but Margaret hung back.

"Doug, are you okay?"

Startled, Doug tore his gaze away from Dylas' retreating form and focused on the Elf. "Y-yeah, I'm fine, why?"

"You looked sad. Is there something you want to talk about?" Meg had never been very close with the redhead, but he was an open book, and his expression was a mix of frustration, sadness, and anger. It was a look on his face all too often these days.

"Nah, I'm great. Thanks though," he said with a smile she could tell was forced, before turning and walking back towards the square. Shrugging, Margaret followed Dylas back to the restaurant, dismissing the moment from her mind.

Doug walked to the square, uncertain as to where he could go to be alone without leaving town. If something were to happen to Granny Blossom, he wanted to be nearby to help, but he really didn't want to deal with people at the moment. Standing uncertainly in the middle of the open area in front of the castle, he looked around and saw something he hadn't been sure he wanted to see.

Leon and Frey were hugging, and from the look on Leon's face, the news was not good for the other guys interested in her. _~Well, I guess that makes one thing easier then… But no one's going to leave us alone now. I'll never be able to tell him!~_ Doug decided that a hot bath was in order. He didn't know if it was the same in the girls' bath, but in the guys', no one tended to talk to each other unless they'd come in at the same time. Since he knew that at least Dylas, Vishnal, and Arthur were working, and Leon was otherwise occupied, he figured he could avoid having to talk to anyone else.

Kiel was alone in the bathing room when he got there.

Of course, the one exception… Doug usually enjoyed spending time with the short blond, but today was the rare exception. He hesitated briefly in the doorway, but knew that would not be to his advantage.

"Hello!" Kiel greeted his friend warmly.

"Hey," Doug replied, waving a bit vaguely as he went to wash before soaking.

That granted him a few minutes of respite, but when he stepped into the pool, Kiel was treading water in small circles with a thoughtful expression. "Do you know what's going on with Leon? He was supposed to hang out this morning, but he brushed me off late last night, saying he had a better offer but he wouldn't say what."

Doug shrugged. "Nope. I just saw him in the square, talking to Frey. Maybe she'll know," he hedged, not quite ready to hurt his friend despite his own confusion and pain.

"Probably. I'll ask her later, if he doesn't tell me himself." Kiel sighed thoughtfully.

"I know she was upset last night. Maybe they had an argument and are talking things out," Doug said, not really thinking about it.

"Hmm. That's possible," Kiel said. "I know she's been distracted for the last couple of days." He turned to look at Doug. "So have you, actually. Wanna talk about it?"

Doug shook his head vigorously. "Nope. No distraction here. Nothing to talk about. No worries here," he said, perhaps a bit too quickly.

Kiel was obviously not convinced. "Uh huh. And it doesn't have anything to do with Dylas, either, right?"

Doug glared at his friend and said nothing, making Kiel chuckle, but he let the subject drop. He left a short time later and Doug was alone in the hot water with his thoughts. He propped himself up with his arms over the edge of the pool, letting his body float loosely as he let his mind wander.

The door opening woke him from the half-sleep into which he'd fallen, and he raised his head to see Dylas hesitate just as Doug himself had upon seeing Kiel.

"Hey," he said, lowering his head back to the side of the hot pool.

"Hey," Dylas said warily as he headed for the sinks.

Doug listened to the sound of splashing as Dylas washed before entering the pool himself. He listened to the former Guardian's footsteps followed by more splashing, though he kept his eyes closed and tried to pretend he was still dozing.

And then he felt the hand he knew could only be Dylas' grabbing him by the hair and pulling him up.

"Don't drown, stupid."

"I'd rather drown than need to be rescued by you!" Doug scrambled to stand in the water, cursing the awkwardness of his movements.

"Is that so! Then I should have let you!" Dylas retorted angrily, pushing Doug away as he released his grip on the red hair.

"No it isn't!" Doug yelled.

"Then you shou—what?" Dylas turned back to face Doug, anger turning to confused surprise.

"Dammit! I'm no good at this crap," Doug muttered. "I've been trying to talk to you for days. I'm just… no good at this stuff," he said again, turning his face away. "I'm tired of fighting with you. I don't want to fight anymore."

"You don't?"

"No," Doug said, stepping close to Dylas. He was encouraged when the taller man did not back away. "I want to…" He looked around, suddenly afraid of being overheard. "Come here," he said, motioning Dylas to lean down.

"You're not going to bite me, are you?" Dylas said warily as he leaned over.

"Not unless you want me to," Doug grinned suddenly as he tangled a hand in the other's mane of blue hair and pulled him in closer.

"W-what are you…"

Before Doug could complete his action, or Dylas could react further, the door opened again.

"Well, what's this? A secret date?" a familiar sly voice said after a brief moment, during which Dylas and Doug had scrambled for opposite ends of the pool, faces flaming.

"I hate you," Doug growled as he pushed past, glaring ahead of himself and leaving Dylas and Leon to glower and blink respectively.

"What was that about?" he heard Leon ask just before he slammed the door behind him.

"Excuse me, but it seems that was not necessary, yes?" Xiao Pai gave Doug a dirty look as he stormed past her too.

"Sorry," he muttered, not paying attention, though he did close the front door to Bell Bath more carefully.

_~I was so close. Damn Leon anyway.~_ The memory of Dylas' wet skin against his own made him dizzy – or perhaps it was the frustration of finally almost having everything out in the open. He didn't think he could take much more of this. In just a matter of seconds, all the benefit of the hot bath had been undone. Once again he was a giant knot of tension.

He wasn't even sure who to talk to. Everyone in town seemed to make fun of his relationship with Dylas, such as it was. He felt so lonely. He got along pretty well with everyone but he wasn't really close with too many people. Of his close friends, he could count on the toes of one ear who he'd trust to both take him seriously and not say the wrong thing – either to the wrong person, or at the wrong time… Having someone say something for him was out of the question. Only kids did that sort of thing, and he was way beyond that.

Wasn't he?

He just really hoped that Leon was NOT saying anything to Dylas at the moment, because he was pretty sure that anything Leon said would not help his cause.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Leon. When worse came to worst, the guy was a real rock, if a sassy one, but he enjoyed teasing his friends just a bit too much to make Doug comfortable, especially on such a sensitive subject.

Not knowing what else to do, he paced around his room for a while until Blossom called him to dinner, then crawled into bed and waited for sleep.

.oOo.

Thursday dawned; Doug was awakened by the tempting scent of rice porridge. Then the memory of what hadn't happened in the bathhouse crushed down on him and he sighed, considered telling Granny he felt sick and just wanted to sleep in, then remembered it was his day to man the store. Usually Thursdays were pretty quiet; he could handle whatever sales came in and spend the rest of his time moping. It was better than making Granny do the extra work… Not that he'd ever admit it! No more draggy than usual, he slumped out of bed and dressed quickly. It wouldn't do to let breakfast get cold, after all. As much as he loved rice porridge, when it got cold it was kind of gross. And there was no reason to make Granny worry…

If she noticed he seemed more despondent than usual, she said nothing. He preferred it that way, already feeling as he did that he had put her through too much already. She bid him a good day at the shop and he didn't notice the sharpness in her eyes as she studied him before leaving.

No one came for the first two hours. He busied himself with some restocking and some rearranging of the shelves. A tourist wandered in, looked around, and bought some chocolate before leaving.

He was about to close up for a few minutes to get some lunch when he heard the door open.

He turned at the sound of a familiar heavy footstep on the threshold.

"Hey," Dylas said, a bit awkwardly.

"Hey," Doug replied uncertainly.

"I, uh… Porcoline sent me with this," he said, waving a packed lunch. "He said Blossom wanted to make sure you eat something. I figured I should make it or it'd never leave the restaurant."

"Uh, thanks," Doug said, reaching tentatively for it, even as he grinned at Dylas' not-joke. Opening the parcel released a cloud of scent into the air… The warm smell of fresh rice. The heavy, oily aroma of fried goodness that was tempura.

"Whoah! You made this yourself? That's awesome! Thanks a lot!" Startled, he looked up at Dylas. "Huh… You didn't sp—"

"Hey!" Even though Doug hadn't finished what had sounded like it was about to be his usual flippant attack, Dylas was already on the defensive.

"You didn't, uh, spare any effort, did you," the dwarf finished a bit lamely. "This really smells fantastic."

The former Guardian blinked, taken aback. He hadn't expected the dwarf to change his song, and found himself disarmed. Could Leon have been right, after all? "Uh, yeah. Th-thanks." He eyed the shorter man warily.

He was clearly torn between staying and leaving; Doug wasn't sure why, but he certainly had his hopes. "Thank you," he said, taking a taste of the dish. His eyes closed of their own accord; Dylas had gotten really good in the kitchen. Just another reason I can't let him go, I guess… The thought gave him pause. He set the bowl aside. "D-Dylas?"

Though the taller man had begun moving toward the door, he stopped and turned back to look at Doug. "Yeah?"

"There's something I've been wanting to say to you… I really –"

The door opened and Frey walked in, a dreamy expression on her face. She was already speaking as she stepped over the threshold. "Doug, I need a lot of Sour Drops in a hur-!"

"NOT NOW DAMMIT!" Doug cried out in his frustration.

Frey stopped short, looked from one to the other, and hastily retreated. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt, I'll come back later!"

"What's she grinning about?" Dylas wondered with no little annoyance as the door closed behind her. "And what were you about to say?"

"Nothin'. Forget it." He wanted to cry. Or rage. "It doesn't matter." He wasn't sure which.

Dylas shrugged. "If you say so," he said, again uncertain as Doug seemed to sag.

The door burst open again and Frey swept in, grabbing Dylas' hand as she passed him. "Enough of this." Tugging him along behind her, she marched him over to Doug, seizing the redhead's hand in her free one, and slapped their palms together, wrapping the fingers of each around the other. Both stared at her in slack-jawed astonishment, too startled even to blush. "There. Now you are holding hands," she said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I hereby declare you dating. Now kiss and get over it already." Taking a step back, she glared at them with her arms folded over her chest.

"W-what!?" Dylas was the first to recover, his cheeks flaming. Doug's own burned so hot he was surprised he wasn't on fire.

Frey sighed. "It's obvious to everyone. We're all tired of the nonsense. Just admit you're in love with each other. That's what I walked in on anyway, isn't it?" She leveled a glare at both of them, daring them to argue with her.

Dylas' gaze shot to Doug, who half-shrugged. He didn't see much point in trying to deny it. "Is… Is that true?"

"Well… uhh… yeah… I guess…" Doug hedged.

"It's true," Frey translated. "And I'm not going to sit here all day. I have to make Salted Rainbow Trout for my boyfriend, now that he's stopped being stupid about how he feels." She dropped some money on the counter and claimed the Sour Drops for which she'd originally come. "You two work out the details. I'll tell everyone to stay away in the meantime." She breezed out the door, a huge smirk decorating her fair features.

Two pairs of very confused eyes stared at the joined hands for a long, awkward moment.

"Hey, uhh…" Doug started.

"You…! This is totally your fault!" Dylas snapped, red-faced and snatching his hand away – or attempting to do so, except Doug's fingers had already curled around his in acceptance.

To his surprise, the dwarf shrugged. "Okay then. It's my fault." Silver eyes rose to meet glaring gold. "But… I'm tired of hiding it. This is what I've been trying to tell you for days. I… I like you, okay?" Embarrassed, he looked away again.

"N…No! It's n-not okay! Because I like you, and I should have told you first!"

"Huh?" Doug said intelligently.

"I'm taller, so I should be the guy!"

"Hey! I'm a guy too! And you have longer hair, so you should be the girl!"

Outside, Frey sighed and shook her head. Most of the rest of the town, gathered outside the door, listened along with her in various states of amused exasperation to the new argument.

"At least they were finally honest about their feelings," Pico said rather pointedly. "Isn't that nice, Milady?"

"Shut up," Dolce muttered.

}-FIN-{

_[AN] Frey's intervention is loosely based on something that actually happened to me - Although I was in her role in that situation... Man, it was fun. [/AN]_


End file.
